ADM: Alternative proteins, treat trends, and tailored microbiome support in pet nutrition
24 Jun 2025 | ADM
As demand for sustainable and science-backed pet food grows, ADM is expanding its focus on alternative proteins, microbiome support, and functional treats. We speak with Colton Clason, senior marketing manager of Pet Nutrition, and Dr. Lindsay Sumners, director of Creation, Design & Development, Health & Wellness, and Pet & Animal Wellbeing. They discuss how ADM evaluates nutritional quality, navigates consumer trends, and develops targeted solutions for pet well-being. The conversation examines biotics, lifecycle sustainability, and the fine line between humanization and species-specific nutrition.
So, hello and welcome to Nutrition Insights interview series.
My name is Vina Patel and I'm a senior journalist, and today I'm joined by Doctor Lindsay Sumners, who is the director of creation, design and development, including health and wellness and also pet and animal -being.
And alongside her, we have, Colton Clayson, who is the senior marketing, manager for pet nutrition at ADM.
And today we will discuss alternative proteins in pet food, fun and healthy treating, as as microbiome support for tailored -being.
So both of you, thank you so much for joining us.
I have prepared some questions and let's start with alternative proteins.
So there's currently a growing momentum behind their use in pet food and it's often framed around sustainability.
So my question is, how does ADM evaluate the nutritional quality and bioavailability of these proteins compared to traditional meat?
Yeah, I can certainly take that one.
So the quick answer is research.
So ADM is investing quite a bit in research on alternative proteins.
Of course they are looked at as a substitute for alternative for animal proteins, excuse me, and so we have to make sure that they are nutritious and safe for pets to consume.
So when it comes to plant and yeast-based proteins, we've completed quite a few research studies in partnership with the University of Illinois to evaluate the nutritional value of these non-animal protein sources.
The findings are really intended to help the pet food industry understand how these alternative proteins can be used effectively to meet the nutritional requirements of dogs and cats, so we look at things like compositional analysis, you know, measuring protein, fat, fiber, and energy content.
To understand that baseline nutritional contribution of each ingredient, but of course we also look at amino acid profiling since dogs and cats require those specific essential amino acids across protein ingredients.
And then we employ a modified DIAAS or DS-like method, which is more precise than older metrics like PDC AAS to calculate that amino acid availability, so.
So through this research we identify which alternative proteins meet or even exceed the amino acid requirements of dogs and cats and which have limiting amino acids requiring, you know, the addition of those complementary ingredients.
So, our findings with Varsity dried yeast was found to contain no limiting amino acids, making it a very high quality protein.
Whereas pea protein and like soy flakes were found to be limited in methionine or tryptophans, so they'll need to be combined with other proteins to offer those complete nutrition requirements.
So the research we were happy to see found that dogs and cats are able to digest and absorb plant-based protein sources such as soy, just as as other proteins.
And then another alternative protein that we're very excited about would be insect protein.
And we've also partnered with the University of Illinois as as EnovaFeed to determine the nutritional aspects, and the research demonstrated that black soldier fly larvae-based protein is a subs, excuse me, the results demonstrated that black soldier fly larvae protein is a suitable substitute for chicken meal in dog foods, both, both in terms of protein quality.
And macronutrient digestibility.
Right, and so sustainability seems to be often assumed, but it's a lot more complex.
And so how are, how sustainable are ADM's alternative proteins when looking at the full cycle?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course.
You know, it varies by ingredient, but we're of course paying attention to each ingredient individually.
So for example, black soldier fly larvae from Enova Feed, where ADM is the exclusive North American distributor.
They use an industrial symbiosis production model to improve circularity in the supply chain.
And we also partner with major brands on regenerative agriculture, so that supports farmers in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska using these regenerative practices for things like cover crops, no till fertilizer efficiency programs, efficient herbicide, pesticide use, things like that.
So the goal is to You know, deliver benefits like increased yields, but also lower greenhouse gas emissions through reduction in carbon sequestration.
We also completed a life cycle assessment on varsity yeast protein.
With, you know, an evaluation of the current production processes and a description of our plans to lower the carbon footprint of adversity through enhanced biogenic and fossil CO2 emission, carbon capture and storage, improvements in our plant efficiency and energy sources, as as regenerative agriculture.
So we're we're intending to make that particular ingredient.
Even more sustainable in the future.
Right.
And going on to another topic, treating for pets is really booming right now and the lines between the food fun and functions are also increasingly blurring.
So how do you balance palatability with nutritional integrity in treats?
So because especially owners are tending to humanize their pets.
Yeah, you know, taste and nutrition don't necessarily have to be at odds, but, you know, there are of course multiple factors that influence pet food palatability, including the protein and fat sources, as as the palatins that are used.
But what we're finding through palatability studies is that ingredients like black soldier fly larvae, protein, and oil typically perform as as or better than proteins, other protein sources, so BSFL has kind of a nutty aroma that pets seem to quite enjoy.
But other wholesome ingredients like barley, flaxseed, blueberries, and baked treats can provide pets with that flavor and as as, you know, the kind of healthy nature of those types of wholesome ingredients and of course definitely align with the humanization trend.
But you know, we are also focusing on interesting flavor combinations for humanization, so You know, focusing on popular human flavors like pumpkin spice or ingredients like carob that can be that safe replacement for chocolate, as as a variety of fruit flavors and aromas, and we have one particular supplement format that works very for humanization.
Which is our cold extruded soft chew supplements, and due to that lack of heat, the, the products can support flavors and aromas that directly are influenced by the ingredients, so things like dragon fruit or mint or, you know, even barbecue sauce.
So you know, overall, the, you know, the treating experience, whether it's a treat or a supplement.
Is an opportunity for those pet parents to bond with their cats and dogs, right?
And do you think this trend shapes industry formulation for better or for worse?
I think for better, you know, when it comes to supplements, in particular, you have those functional benefits included, of course, but you know you want to give that supplement in a way that the pet enjoys and could create that bonding experience, that fun experience for the human and the pet.
So I think consumers are going to continue to look to Unique supplement formats for not just the health benefits and functional ingredients but also for the fun and exciting experience of treating.
Right.
And so this also raises a deeper question about how we talk about pet wellness.
It's kind of easy to project human needs, like the flavors that you mentioned onto animals, but biologically their needs can differ.
So how does ADM navigate this tension between, you know, consumer driven trends and also the species specific nutrition science?
Yeah, it's a great question.
You know, we see quite a few human brands in the supplement space interested in moving into pet, and one of the initial discussions we usually have is that you know pet needs.
They do differ from human needs, so not every single popular human supplement is going to translate into into pet, but we've done an extensive amount of consumer research to understand.
You know, what are the top health concerns of pet owners, and those include things like healthy aging and general wellness, joint health and mobility, dental and oral health, skin coat health, and, and digestive health.
So functional ingredients can help address those concerns, you know, provided they are solutions backed by scientific evidence and you know that shows that they are truly effective for pet health.
You know, supplement developments for pets have traditionally relied on extrapolating data from human studies based on the assumption that similar effects will be seen across species, but here at ADM we're committed to creating those targeted wellness products for dogs and cats and validating their efficacy through clinical trials, specifically in canines and felines.
Yeah, OK.
And zooming into gut health, the microbiome space is expanding really fast right now.
So what scientific evidence is supporting the pre and the pro and postbiotic ingredients that ADM includes in its formulations?
Yeah, I can go ahead and take that one.
So, you know, I think that's one of the things that really sets ADM apart is that, you know, we are highly investing in clinical trials and, you know, different scientific partnerships to really evaluate the efficacy of our microbiome ingredients, you know, in the.
Target species, so in cats and dogs.
We really want to make sure that, you know, we want to ensure that they're delivering kind of those measurable benefits in specific targeted health areas.
So things like digestive health, metabolic health, you know, and even, even oral health.
So, I'm talking a little bit about some of our recent clinical trials.
So, we actually had a, a recently published clinical trial, that was conducted in dogs.
And they were supplemented with our heat-treated postbiotic, which is a biphobacterium enemais subspecies lacus.
So, this is our Priome branded metabolic health, ingredients.
So we offer this in both a probiotic and a postbiotic, and so both of those formats were tested in the clinical trial.
And so, one of the major findings of that study was that Dogs supplemented with the postbiotic version actually had lower blood glucose after eating a normal meal compared to placebo supplemented dogs.
This was during a weight loss phase.
So, you know, metabolic health is a really important factor for, you know, things like longevity and quality of life, you know, particularly as, you know, over half of the dogs within the US are actually, you know, estimated, to be, you know, overweight or obese.
You know, as dogs continue to live longer, and share kind of more of our dietary and activity patterns, you know, there is the risk of kind of developing, you know, some of those chronic lifestyle associated conditions.
And then another one of our, our clinical trials, recently, was actually, showing support for oral and dental health through a modulation of the canine oral microbiome, rather than mechanical action.
So, this was a clinical study that was conducted in dogs with our heat-treated Lactilanti bacillus plantarum.
So this is our Priam oral care postbiotic, and so this has been shown to support healthy teeth and gums.
This was kind of demonstrated both by pre-clinical testing and also the clinical study that was conducted in dogs, and that was actually just published a couple of weeks ago in the journal Animals.
And then, in terms of gut health, we actually have another clinical study, and this was done in cats, and so that's really great for our cat owners.
And so this was looking at our prim gut health in combination with fibersol, which is a soluble dietary fiber.
And so that study, showed kind of demonstrated support for gastrointestinal health.
This promoted, you know, a balanced microbiome, and also kind of fostering, you know, growth of those beneficial gut bacteria.
Mhm.
Very interesting.
And with also personalized nutrition, gaining ground is ADM exploring breed, age, or condition specific, magim support, or are most solutions still gen generalized across, species?
Yes, we're, we're very much committed to, you know, studying kind of any potential benefits, you know, of our functional ingredients, you know, in cats and dogs, you know, we're really interested in supporting kind of the development of those species-specific solutions, you know, with scientifically substantiated health claims, you know, in addition to Kind of some of the, the targeted areas that we, we previously talked about, you know, we're also exploring biotic solutions to support things like balanced behavior, skin health, mobility, immunity, you know, there's a variety of kind of different health indications, you know, in companion animals.
I think another area that's, you know, a, a topic, that's popular is just healthy aging and longevity-focused solutions.
So that's kind of another key area for, you know, today's pet parents.
We see that pet parents are taking kind of that more proactive and a more holistic approach to pet care.
We actually had conducted some Recent market research and we found that, you know, about 79% of global pet parents are actually willing to spend money on kind of proactive care, and that allows them to reduce the risk of kind of those larger expenses later, later on.
So, it's really something that we're seeing that pet parents are, are interested in.
Right.
And so thank you so much today, Lindsay and Galton, for sharing your insights and walking us through the latest trends on our companion species -being.
Thank you very much for having us.
